Todd Staples, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

This month, TDA held the first ever Texas Agriculture Summit in Bastrop. I was proud to be joined by Senator John Cornyn, who serves on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee. This month, I also announced that for the first time, TDA will begin monitoring fuel quality in Texas. TDA has long protected consumers from getting shorted at the gas pump. Today, consumers can be sure that they are also getting the best quality of gas available. Fuel quality affects engine performance and will save Texans money.

I visited with proud Texans from Jackson County along the Gulf Coast to College Station to Waco to Killeen to Panola County. I met with dairy farmers in Sulphur Springs, cotton farmers in Lubbock and horse raisers in Pilot Point.

What impresses me is how closely tied agriculture and rural Texas are to the overall economy. Agriculture today is about far more than the food you eat and the clothes you wear. From toothpaste to tires to medicines to plastics - to energy, agriculture impacts every area of our lives. In the Rio Grande Valley, I met with citrus growers and toured a sugar mill with its own biomass plant which not only powers 100 percent of its needs, it powers the whole town around it.

Everywhere I go I remain amazed at the grit and resilience of Texans. While the national news is filled with doom and gloom about the economy, Texans aren't waiting for Washington to fix their problems; they're taking matters into their own hands. That's the way Texans have always been and is why our economy is one of the strongest in the nation.

To grow that economy and to revitalize our nation, we need to all work together and fight for those values that built America. Because we know that the strength of this land was NOT built on bailouts, debt and socialism - it WAS built on strong, timeless principles like free markets, limited government and individual liberty.

And that's why I have faith and confidence in the people of Texas to overcome this current crisis and know Texas will be stronger than ever with your dedication and leadership. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely yours,